The Bundesliga title race keeps getting more interesting each week. Yesterday, the chasing pack of Schalke and Borussia Mochengladbach who were just a point behind leaders Bayern heading into this weekend's games were both held to draws that saw them lose ground in the title race.

However, the shock result of the weekend was Bayern's 1-1 home draw with Hamburg.

Image: Photo by Scott Heavey/Getty Images.

FIFA Women's Player of the Year award finalist, Abby Wambach, walked into the FIFA Gala in Zurich last Monday virtually unnoticed by fans, cameramen, paparazzi and most other bystanders.

How come, you ask?

"Unfortunately I strolled in right after Shakira.

Brazilian Swag King Neymar arrived in Barcelona from Zurich last night to ... (*drumroll courtesy of Sandro Rosell*)... film a sports commercial. Unfortunately, he won't be staying in the city for very long and you can imagine how paranoid Santos is about keeping him anywhere near the Blaugranas, especially since they both share similar sponsorship agreements!

Mirror: Video: The horror! See Sepp Blatter shaking his hips at Shakira

FIFA president makes a fool of himself once again, this time at Zurich gala

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2012-01-10 14:36:56 from: The Mirror

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

09.01.2012 - Rinde (la marca) Messi. Así quedó manifestado en la entrega del Premio Balón de Oro (2011), ayer en Zurich, donde Lio vistió "su marca".
.caligula

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been given the FIFA presidential award for services to football. The United manager was presented with the award by FIFA president Sepp Blatter at the FIFA Ballon d'Or gala in Zurich.

Talking about SAF, Blatter said:

"Elite football is all about results and winning and there is no one better at it than him.

Japan's Homare Sawa & Argentina's Lionel Messi pictured with FIFA 2011 Ballon d'Or Awards ZURICH Lionel Messi was awarded FIFA men's player of the year for the third time in... Read more »

How is it that the global game, the people's game followed by billions is ruled by a fraction of a fraction of an elite that plays by its own rules? The plutocracy have no need to be beholden. They enjoy no term limits, need no financial disclosures, and bilk billions of tax free dollars without qualm.

By Chris Wright

FIFA have announced their three-man Ballon d'Or shortlist this morning, and it's crushingly predictable fare: Lionel Messi (the 5th time he's made the 'final three' in five years), Xavi (3rd time in 3 years) and Cristiano Ronaldo (4th time in five years).

Oguchi Onyewu got the start for Sporting, beating FC Zurich 2-0 at home to win Group D. Ricky van Wolfswinkel opened the scoring in the 15th minute, with Valeri Bojinov doubling the lead in the 58th. Boeck Marcelo needed one save for the shutout. Jermaine Jones went the distance for Schalke 04, beating Steaua Bucharest 2-1 to qualify for the next round.

Right, so let me get this straight. England are going to win the Euros now after all? Oh well that's a relief. It was touch and go there for a moment but thanks to those courageous kids, some hardened old sea dogs and a bit of can-do attitude it looks like we're going to bloody well do it.

EDL protesters occupy FIFA's roof over poppy ban

Two members of the English Defence League climbed onto the roof of FIFA's headquarters in Zurich with a banner protesting against the ban

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2011-11-09 15:44:51 from: The Mirror

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

EDL protesters target FIFA over poppy ban

Two members of the English Defence League climbed onto the roof of FIFA's headquarters in Zurich with a banner protesting against the ban

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2011-11-09 15:44:51 from: The Mirror

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Why FIFA's outrageous ruling on England shirts is poppycock

Sepp Blatter and FIFA claim they act "for the good of the game". Then it's about time they proved it. FIFA's outrageous decision to ban England from wearing a special poppy-incorporated kit in Saturday's Wembley friendly with Spain not only defies belief, it makes a mockery of everything the world governing body claims to represent.

Luis Suarez's sensational first year at Liverpool has seen him emerge as a contender for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award.
The Uruguayan's scintillating form for both club and country has led to countless plaudits over the past 12 months, culminating in his inclusion in a 23-man short-list.
The No.

Associated Press Sports Writer Graham Dunbar has the scoop:

ZURICH (AP) -- A FIFA official with knowledge of the decision says Fox has won the U.S. television rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Fox was awarded the English-language rights and Telemundo the Spanish-language rights.

FIFA announced the Match Schedule for the 2014 World Cup in Zurich last night and we know you'd rather take out your neighbour's trash than see images of Yoda Blatter at the ceremony! So here you go instead, it's the Selecao feminina celebrating their goal against Costa Rica at the Pan American Games yesterday.

Argentine football chief apologises for attack on England

Julio Grondona branded the English "liars" and "pirates" at the FIFA Congress in Zurich in June

View the full story here: The Mirror

A news article on 2011-10-05 10:47:38 from: The Mirror

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

See, when it comes to firecrackers, the typical method of disarming one's self is to fire it onto the field of play, allowing it to glow brightly in the cushy comforts of the green grass. Some Swiss hooligans went against conventional thinking and fired one into the stands on the weekend, causing a stoppage in the Grasshoppers v Zurich derby, a game eventually (and smartly) cancelled.

See, when it comes to firecrackers, the typical method of disarming one's self is to fire it onto the field of play, allowing it to glow brightly in the cushy comforts of the green grass. Some Swiss hooligans went against conventional thinking and fired one into the stands on the weekend, causing a stoppage in the Grasshoppers v Zurich derby, a game eventually (and smartly) cancelled.

ZURICH - FIFA has kicked Myanmar out of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup as punishment for crowd violence at a 2014 qualifier in July.
Fans threw stones and water bottles onto the field during Myanamar's game against Oman on July 28, forcing the referee to abandon the match.
Oman was leading 2-0 at the time and was awarded the victory by that score.

Several of the U.S. National Team players were in action for their clubs as the group phase of the Europa League kicked off Thursday. Here's a recap:
Jozy Altidore continued his blistering scoring pace for AZ Alkmaar, netting his sixth goal in eight matches in all competitions when he fired home the opening goal in the 4-1 win against Malmo.

Jozy Altidore got the start for AZ and scored the opening goal in a 4-1 win over Malmo. Altidore's goal came in the 21st minute, with Rasmus Elm making it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 33rd. Adam Maher (39th) and Brett Holman (49th) also scored for AZ, before Malmo ruined the shutout with a penalty in the 72nd minute.

There was a bit of a mess in Switzerland back in May when the fans of Zurich and Basel, not quite friendly, also took on those charged with keeping the peace with various weapons fashioned expertly from anything in the general vicinity of their person.

The videos were just released by the Swiss police last week, and they're not exactly a shining light of the well-behaved football fan.

There was a bit of a mess in Switzerland back in May when the fans of Zurich and Basel, not quite friendly, also took on those charged with keeping the peace with various weapons fashioned expertly from anything in the general vicinity of their person.

The videos were just released by the Swiss police last week, and they're not exactly a shining light of the well-behaved football fan.

Uefa have announced the groups for the next round of the Europa League which features two Portuguese clubs, last seasons finalists Braga and Sporting. Group ATottenham Rubin Kazan PAOK Shamrock Rovers Group B Copenhagen Standard Liege Hannover Vorskla Poltava Group C PSV Eindhoven Hapoel Tel-Aviv Rapid Bucuresti Legia Warsaw Group D SPORTING Lazio Zurich Vaslui Group E Dynamo Kiev

FIFA has come down hard hard on North Korea for having players test positive during the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, including excluding the team from participating in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. That means that should the USA qualify for 2015, it will not play the North Koreans for what would have been the FIFTH straight Women's World Cup.

...and the following group stage draw.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is a decent striker. Quite a bit more than decent, but following his disappointing first season at Schalke (13 goals in 35 matches in all competitions), we'll only slowly roll out the superlatives. Anyway, he has now scored 12 in 6 and made sure Schalke's Europa League season wasn't disappointingly cut short.

UEFA Champions League on Fox Soccer: Bayern Munich - Zurich at 2pm and Odense - Villarreal at 5pm. Fox Soccer Plus has Dinamo Zagreb - Malmo at 2pm and Wisla Krakow - Apoel at 9pm. Spanish Super Cup 2nd-leg on GolTV and ESPN Deportes: Barcelona - Real Madrid at 5pm. CONCACAF Champions League on Fox Soccer: Colorado - Metapan at 10pm and UNAM Pumas - Dallas at 12:30am (11pm on Galavision).

Newcastle (A) – Udinese (H) – Liverpool (H) – Udinese (A) – Manchester United (A)

Five games in 16 days, each with its unique degree of significance. I don't like dramatizing the consequences of each match, especially at the start, but one gets the feeling, before the end of August Doodh ka doodh, paani ka paani ho jayega.

By J Hutcherson - WASHINGTON, DC (Jul 21, 2011) US Soccer Players -- For those of you with better things to do on Saturday, you might have missed the FIFA Ethics Committee's announcement. Streamed live for those of us not in Zurich, chairman Petrus Damaseb announced that once upon a time FIFA presidential candidate and suspended Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam has been banned for life after being found culpable in a votes.

By Chris Wright

This here is the solid onyx 'meditation' room that FIFA installed in their Zurich catacombs a couple of years ago y'know, for those times when all that glad-handing, flesh-pressing, bung-quibbling, money-counting, heel-dragging and vote-rigging just starts to get on top of you.

Warner And Hammam: Guilty As Charged? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

The BBC has obtained a document authored by the Carribean Football Union (CFU) detailing claims that Jack Warner had full knowledge of and participated in the distribution of cash bribes to members of the CFU at a special meeting promoting Mohamed Bin Hammam's Fifa presidential bid.

STARTERS
Lets all take a moment to remember those in Norway who were killed today by the terrorist attacks in Oslo, and have a good thought for those injured and shaken. Lykke til Norge.
STORY OF THE DAY
Keir Radnedge of the Leader tells us about an investigation by Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy that found that the 3 families who own Milan, Inter and Juventus respectively have spent over 600 Million English pounds in the past 5 years to try and keep their clubs competitive.

The Zurich based cabal of the corrupt, headed by Our Dear Leader, has released the latest batch of the Fifa/Coca-Cola World Rankings. [read more]

I am, some of you will doubtlessly be delighted to hear, taking a few days off to go abroad. Over the weekend, though, we'll be keeping you on your toes with a mixture of old and new material, kicking off with this resumé of old goal-posts.

One of the greatest blights of modern football is that it looks the same wherever in the world you go.

It is just over 160 miles from Nyon to Zurich, from the home of UEFA to the home of FIFA, a journey that, if rumours are to be believed, Michel Platini is interested in making. It is thought that the ... Continue reading →

"As suspended Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam departs Zurich fighting bribery allegations, soccer in his continent of Asia struggles to combat match-fixing, violence and money issues that threaten to tarnish the Qatari's belief that the future is Asia," a Reuters report has concluded.

The 61st FIFA Congress, just concluded in Zurich, provides for FIFA, the continental confederations and national associations to charge license fees for friendly league, club and 'scratch' games held outside of home countries. The Congress ratified a number of amendments to the FIFA Statutes. Official Articles 73 and 78 to 80 were amended "to have clearer provisions regarding the authorisation

FIFA president, Mr Joseph S. Blatter, was re-elected for a fourth term of office until 2015 by the 61st FIFA Congress, held in Zurich. Standing without an opponent, Mr Blatter received 186 of the 203 votes cast by member associations in a secret ballot. The FIFA president spoke about the need for transparency and "zero tolerance" in the fight against the dangers that threaten football.